Annually, Harford County is required to submit a program summary to Maryland Department of the Environment or MDE. The summary outlines the County's progress towards improving the health of local streams and Chesapeake Bay.

These programs are required under the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System or NPDES program through the Environmental Protection Agency or EPA. The NPDES program requires counties and municipalities nationwide to apply for a permit that regulates local stream health or water quality. These permits are called (M)unicipal (S)eparate (S)torm (S)ewer (S)ystem or MS4 permits